Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-24
A LEADER OF COTILLIONS.

one evening from my seat in the par
quet, | saw IN an opera bCx vision of
beauty, remarkable for the sentiment
expressed in the pose and costume. A
sauint through the glass revealed friend
and a few minutes later l was seated
noiselessly few feet behind her listen
ing to "LoDengrin" and enjoying, not
for the first time, the charm of nearly
perfec: woman. Who was it Sid that
God Almighty took twenty years to make
a perfect woman? 1t was true in this
case, and the few extra years had added
something that may have been q disturb
ing element, but only deepened the charm.
Her profile came against the dark lining
Of the boxes across the way; her head
like those of maidens in the Ponathen-
can procession, bent forward a trife
moodily; a small pink round ear was lis
tening to the slow words of youth direct
iy at her back. and I thought the polish
ed right houlder-shodlder are i'm
mensely expressive sometimes-had a
certain protesting turn to it. My admir-
alton for this lovely vision had been
open enough the winter before to war
rant friends in retailing all the gossip of
the summer in regard to her, particular
ly as to things / might be expected by
no means to relish, and | sat wondering
whether any of it was true and whether
the distracted look in her face had to do
with what / had heard.
Finally [ examined the youth. He
proved to be noted leader of cotillions,
not born to New York, but already in
dispensible to young ladies and their
mammas who gave balls, rightfully es
teemed, moreover, for his taste in flowers
and the fitting up of boudoir and draw
ing-rOom. He, too, was worth examining.
L could not but think how nice of him it
was that he, like the young ladies, his
patrons and clients, should give so much
time and pains to his dress. Handsome
TO begin with, although not cast in any
heroic mold, he was exquisite as a bou-
quet that comes from the Enthusiastically
proportional, just right in the arrange
ment of the flowers, sweet smelling and
fresh with the ice water that artfully re-
calls dew gl1mmerlng neatly on rose and
leaf. His face did not indeed sparkle,
but it was fresh colored, and the blonde
mustache curled with exact care at the
right number of inches below the sugges-
ton of curl on his white forehead. 1
envied heartily the perfect set of his
coat, the unwrinkled line of his trousers
and the little patent leather shoe that
coyly peeped below. The upper body
was bent at just the right angle at the
waist, creasing slightly the starched white
waist-coat with gold buttons. A flower
corresponding with the bouquet that she
had laid on the edge of the box was in the
lapel, and his gloved hands rested against
each other lightly, yet with the motion of
appeal belied, however, by immobility of
his face. | wondered if they were en-
gagged, hoped they were not, and fortified
the hope by rejecting that because they
were SO alike in some things, because
their names were connected, because it
was to the word in all respects so fitting
a match-just for those reasons they
never would marry.
The act ended, and I waited for him to
move, but ne would not bulge though he
saw me we'll enough, and knew who was.
I had to rise and talk over him. The
warm look of friendship, the elaborate
glance my friend gave round about
for chair for me, were not enough
to move him. She was determined how
ever; seeing that, he rose and bowed him
self out.
as it true?" said l, nodding in his di-
rection.
She looked away, frowned slightly, and
said:
she is nearly alone, and there is so much
chattering here"
/ reflect as we passed to the other box
that last year she would not have dared to
suggest even such an innocent thing as
this. Once ensconced in the vestibule to
the bex of our kind chaperon few ques-
of
81 always told you that you had the gift
of bringing condolences down on your
self. Well, yes, am half engaged to
'Leader of cotillions," replied grave
~.
She laughed.
''He is more than that; but am not in
so much danger as you think. It is trib-
ute TO my vanity to know that he is de-
voted to me. He is very intimate with
girls who make me feel that 1 do not be-
long to them and theirs; that I am not
rich; that l do not dress, live and talk
like them. They invite me to their big
balls but not to their special dances
don't you know? And they ask him how
his swimming match girl is because I was
the best swimmer at Narragansett last
year. But land here she heaved a sigh
there is another"
''Great heavens! third?"
She eyed me with her candid orbs and
forced faint faint smile.
"Come! You know / never reckoned
you among my conquests. You are be-
yond above me. / cannot imas inc you
among them, and somehow should be
sorry to class you with them. You are
apart; you are my father confessor."
$50 on, then, small penitent; perhaps,
after all / have heard of him too"
She gave me wistful look out of large
brown eyes as much as to say, Don't
believe anything wrong of me that Cos
sips may have reported" waited little,
with her lovely head on one side and then
said:
"Harry does lead the cotillion we'll,
and he dances perfectly. Then at Mar
ragansett he had his horses and made
me use one, though 1 told mamma it was
not the right thing and would cause Cos
sip. He monopolized every moment
and Jack-that's the other one-had to
fight for half an hours talk. But Harry